When the Indiana Dunes State Park Pavilion reopened in a few years ago, I rushed to go. Built in 1929 as a bathhouse and restaurant on the beach, it fell into disrepair in recent decades until it was renovated in 2021. Besides being a gorgeous historic building, it’s just one of two places I can think of to have a drink and food directly on Lake Michigan in this area (the other is Sunset Grille in Michigan City, which I’ve yet to visit! Will remedy soon.).

Alas, as much as I wanted to like the place (those views! The $6-million, 6-year renovation!), it was tough. Service was spotty; food and drink would run out. Last year, customers had to scan a code to order and pay, and it wasn’t working. I could go on.

So I was super excited to hear that the rooftop had been taken over this year by Lincoln Kitchen, a ghost kitchen/delivery operation, in Valparaiso. It’s called The Lookout at The Dunes Pavilion.

We went on a quiet cloudy Tuesday, the sort of night where you’d not sure if it’s going to pour rain. It didn’t, and the sun peaked out of the clouds for sunset. The gas firepits were going; just a few tables were occupied.

I had a gimlet (only $11!) that was so good I had to have two. The warm lobster roll was full of tender sweet meat and nestled in a buttery toasted bun. Perfection. Ceviche, which came with four good-size shrimp hanging off the bowl, wasn’t spicy enough for my taste, but was fresh and tasty nonetheless. Roasted pepper hummus was yummy and came with fresh vegetables as well as warm pita. My companions enjoyed a shrimp basket and tacos. (See menu below and note the reasonable prices.)

The service was attentive and our food came out quickly. New management has also put up some umbrellas, which ought to be welcome on hot days.

So far so good! Then we visited last Friday, a perfect sunny evening, and found an hour and a half wait for a table at 7 pm. It took a while to figure that out, as the maitre d’ disappeared as we stood at the sign instructing us to wait to be seated. We were able to sit and have a drink on one side of the rooftop (management set up coolers with beers and wine separate from the bar to expedite things), but we were too hungry to wait for a table, and not feeling confident food would come out promptly once we ordered. Though the rooftop seats 125, staffing/kitchen issues seem to be the bottleneck.

So my advice to you is: Look, you’re not going to find a better bar-with-a-view along this entire coast. And other people know that. So if you’re going on a weekend or holiday, don’t arrive starving, and go with the flow. And remember that you have to pay a fee to get into the park ($7 per carload for Indiana residents; $9 for non). You don’t get a refund if you find the Rooftop too crowded. But it’d be a mistake for you not to go.

A few notes: A Google search of Dunes Pavilion rooftop will take you to an old site with an old menu. You’re looking for The Lookout at Dunes Pavilion, which is on Facebook but doesn’t have a website. The Lookout is all-ages, unlike some past years. I haven’t yet visited the main floor daytime restaurant, which is under separate management. More on that later.

The Rooftop at Dunes Pavilion, Indiana Dunes State Park